The present invention relates in general to stone casts employed in restorative dentistry, and more particularly to a dowel pin for holding a replica of a single tooth (die) within a replica of the dental arch (stone cast) in such a way that the die can be easily removed from the stone cast and accurately repositioned during the fabrication of an artificial crown or other restoration for the tooth.
In the normal procedure for fabricating an artificial crown, an elastic impression is made of the prepared teeth and their surrounding tissues. The impression is filled with dental stone which, when hardened, accurately duplicates the dental structures. The crown can then be fabricated on the stone cast. During fabrication it is necessary to remove the die of the tooth being restored from the cast and trim it to gain access for forming those surfaces which would otherwise be obscured by the replicas of the adjacent teeth and gums. During fabrication of the crown, the die must be repeatedly removed and placed back in the stone cast for proper adjustment and finishing of the contacts with the neighboring teeth. This requires a die that can be easily removed from the stone cast and replaced with a high degree of precision. When seated in the stone cast, the die must resist tipping and rotation.